The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1887-04-23
THE EARLY USE OF ARTILLERY


The Claims of the Chinese - Red-Hoh
shot The Paixhan CONGRATULATIONS.
When Romulus was marking out the
limits Of his new city gunpowder was
already known, and 5000 years before
the birth of Schwartz pieces of ordnance
had been cast in China. The Moors used
guns in Spain in the beginning of 1900.
if no. in il00 The claims of the Chinese
having been generally admitted. it is
supposed that ordnance reached Europe
through the Moors Of Spain or the Vcnc-
tians. Neither. however. had any con-
ncctiun with China. 1t is unaccountable
that it should not have been perceived by
the Turks, who conquered the northern
portion Of China, in the early part Of the
18th century, and were established all
around the Black sea, with the exception
Of a strip between Nana and the Bus-
phorus. 1t is now doubted whether. III
deed, the Black Prince did use guns at
the battle Of Greasy; but there is no
doubt that Alurad J. had before then en-
plOyed them at the battle of Cossovo.
On both sides they were used. the Turks
having already III tructed the populations
with whom they were at war, Employ
ing artillery in the field, it was easy re
versing the process in Europe) to apply it
to forlresses; the peculiar nature of the
straits Of the BOsphurl;s and the Darda-
nelles invited to its use.
To the batteries placed above Constan-
tinople is attributed the fall of that city,
the supplies from the Black sea being cut
OIL. At Il subsequent period and after
L., Nenctians had penetrated into the
sea of Aiarmora, they equally fortified
the Darlanelles. The enormous calibcr
of the guns placed there still astonshcs
the traveller In the campaign that fol-
lowed the capture of COnstantinople they
had 300 guns. Tho siege train was
equally remarkable for weight Of metal
and number of guns. At the seigc of
Scutar they cast into the place shot of
fourteen lmndred-wCighi. At that of
Ncuhussel, i'll Hungary, ON the first day
200 shots weSr gathered by the hespigcd
Of not less three palms in diameter. Tho
Lur3tncas OF calibcr was not the only
point o' which they anticipated modern
invocation. They employed rcd-hot shot
~ the siege of ienna.
The huwit1cr seems also TO have been
an invention Of theirs, and also its sue
cessive improvements; and even down to
the time Of Selim Ill they ran ahead Of
Europe in invention. One species.
adopted by the Russians under the name
OF Unicorn, gave RISE to the paixhan
gun for rcd-hot shot and horizontal
shells. 4 battery Of uniforms was taken
FROM the Russians by the French after 1t
had done good service at the battle of
Smolensko. Napoleon. ON seeing one of
the captured guns next morning, is said
To have exclaimed: &c sont ces diables
Ia pli nous ont attrapes de 81 loin hier.r
I'm improved instrument of this kind
was the consequence of their attracting
Napolcon's attention. and the celebrated
FalNhan gun subsequently appeared.
On one of these, and that of almost the
smallest caliher, was based the now sys-
tenn of field artillery By Louis Napoleon
Bonaparte With this instinct for war
like instruments, and as the first intro
ducers Of artillery into European war
fare the Turkish corps of artillery must
have occupied an important place in
their armies. The same instinct extended
to fortiications Administrative dis
order has prevented the application, and.
therefore. seeing the dilapiddtion of their
walls and the neglected. all SORTS OF works
which has prevailed for couple Of cen
turtles or more. these statements must ap-
pear extraordinary and incredible; but